Windscreen wipers are an essential component of a vehicle for ensuring the driver has unimpaired vision in all conditions. Windscreen wipers typically comprise rigid arms which sweep back and forth across the windscreen or tailgate glass. The rigid arms are typically configured to support wiper blades which comprise a rubber wiper portion held in contact with the glass of the windscreen or tailgate as the wiper arm sweeps across.
In wet conditions, wiper blades scrape any water which has settled on the windscreen or tailgate glass to the edge of the glass where it can drain away and does not obstruct the vision of the driver.
In dry weather, windscreen wipers allow the windscreen to be cleaned of dirt and grease by firstly spraying water onto the windscreen or tailgate glass, then operating the wipers to wipe away the water together with any dirt and grease which has become suspended in the water.
Even the best conventional wiper blades leave droplets of water on the windscreen or tailgate glass when operating. This may be particularly apparent when the windscreen or tailgate glass is especially dirty or greasy. Over time the performance of the wiper blades deteriorates, as the material of the blade is degraded by dirt, oil, sunlight, ozone and airborne contaminants. When performance of the blade is reduced, the blade does not maintain contact with the glass across the full length of the blade during its full traverse over the windscreen or tailgate glass. Water droplets may therefore remain on the windscreen and may impair the vision of the driver.